I'm in the middle of finishing off my basement, I have a couple of questions concerning the plumbing for the bathroom. Around the 2" PVC pipe that will be used as the drain for the shower was wrapped cardboard. The cardboard went down into the slab about 6", I pulled the cardboard off the pipe and this left about a 1/2" gap around the slab and the pipe. Is it common practice to wrap pipes with cardboard and should I be concerned that the cardboard came off the pipe damp. I made all of the moisture checks in the basement prior to stating the project and they were all good.

The cardboard was put around the pipe so you wouldn't have to chip out concrete to put a fitting on the pipe.

I would not worry about the damp cardboard or the little gap between the pipe and the concrete. Whoever poured that concrete was trying to unnecssarily protect the drain pipe, it wasn't needed.

Great to hear and thanks for your quick replies!

Hey Bryon:

The cardboard was wrapped around that drain instead of installing a shower dapout box. Depending on the type of shower base you will install, you may need an inside cutter to cut pipe after new shower is installed... see pic. This attaches to drill and is used to cut pipe from inside pipe to bring down to correct height for a no-calk drain (see pic.2).

Here, if prefab shower floor/unit, you would install a no-calk drain on shower floor, and then install the shower base or shower unit in a BED OF STRUCTOLITE MORTAR (or modified thinset mortar) OVER the 2" drain pipe stubbed 6 inches too long...then install the no-calk rubber donut...and then using INSIDE CUTTER, cut 2" drain pipe to correct height to allow the strainer to be installed over the drain... That make sense?

If custom shower (copper pan or vinyl/plastic membrane shower floor), get back to me for more info.

Hopefully, that helps. Let us know... Mark

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